DescriptionA very small terrestrial microhylid; males 13-15 mm, females are unknown. Back
is light brown to beige, usually with a teddy-bear shaped black figure, rarely
with a beige median line. Flanks dark, with a distinct border between flank
and back colouration in specimens from Nosy Mangabe. Back is without
characteristic markings in one specimen from Tolagnaro. Venter whitish, with
dark mottling on the throat. Skin on the back smooth. Tympanum rather
indistinct, tympanum/eye ratio between 1/3 and 1/2. Tibiotarsal articulation
reaches the eye. Four fingers, the inner finger reduced, and 4 recognizable
toes. Males with a distinct, largely distensible, single subgular vocal sac.

Call consists of a single, chirping note. Calls are arranged in series, which
can last several minutes. Call duration is about 64-90 ms at Nosy Boraha,
shorter at Nosy Mangabe and 225-245 ms at Tolagnaro. Call repetition rate is
30-37/min at Nosy Boraha, 17/min at Nosy Mangabe and 36 at Tolagnaro.
Frequency is 4.8-5 kHz at Nosy Boraha, 6 kHz at Nosy Mangabe and 4.7-5 kHz
at Tolagnaro.

Stumpffia pygmaea and Stumpffia tridactyla
are smaller with shorter hindlimbs. Other Stumpffia have 5 toes
(the inner toe can be reduced).

Written by Frank Glaw and Miguel Vences (m.vences AT tu-bs.de), Assistant Professor and Curator of Vertebrates at the Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics in the Zoological Museum at the University of AmsterdamFirst submitted 2001-10-29Edited by Rachna Tiwari and Joyce Gross (2010-07-19)